Guam archbishop removed over charges in sex abuse trial

VATICAN CITY: The Vatican has removed the suspended Guam archbishop from office and ordered him not to return to the Pacific island after convicting him of some charges in a sex abuse trial.

The Vatican didn’t say what exactly Archbishop Anthony Apuron had been convicted of, and the sentence was far lighter than those given to high-profile elderly prelates found guilty of molesting minors. It amounts to an early retirement anywhere in the world but Guam, a remote US Pacific territory where nearly everyone is Roman Catholic.

Apuron is 72, while the Vatican retirement age is 75. The Vatican spokesperson declined to comment. Calls placed to the tribunal judge weren’t answered. Apuron’s whereabouts weren’t immediately known.

“While I am relieved that the tribunal dismissed the majority of the accusations against me, I have appealed the verdict,” said a statement from Apuron distributed by his attorney, Jacqueline Terlaje. “God is my witness; I am innocent and I look forward to proving my innocence in the appeals process.”

Pope Francis named a temporary administrator for Guam in 2016 after Apuron was accused by former altar boys of sexually abusing them when a priest. Dozens of cases involving other priests on the island have since come to light, and the archdiocese is facing more than $115 million (R1.38 billion) in civil lawsuits alleging child sexual abuse by priests.

Apuron denied the charges and said he was a victim of a “calumny” campaign. He wasn’t criminally charged. The statute of limitations had expired.

A statement from the tribunal in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, which handles sex abuse cases, said Apuron had been convicted of some of the accusations against him.

Under an appeal, the penalties could be suspended until the case is resolved. However, it’s not clear if that has happened now Apuron has indicated he has appealed.

In the past, when an elderly or infirm priest has been convicted by the Vatican of sexually abusing minors, he has often been removed from ministry and sentenced to a lifetime of “penance and prayer.” Younger priests convicted of abuse have been defrocked, removed from ministry or forbidden from presenting themselves as priests.

The attorney for the victims was overjoyed: “It’s a justified verdict.” – African News Agency (ANA)